Prelude
by WallofIllusion
Summary: Isis wants to ask Seto a question that's been weighing on her mind. Takes place after Battle City. Nonromantic.


**Prelude**

Isis stared up at the imposing KaibaCorp building with some trepidation. _One last time,_ she had told her brothers. _I want to speak to him one last time before we leave Japan._

It wasn't her frustration that Seto still wouldn't accept his past—that was disappointing, but insignificant. Fate would take care of that. She just wanted to talk with him, to ask him something. She still didn't understand something that he'd done at Alcatraz Tower…

The inside of the building was no less glamorous than the outside. Isis supposed she shouldn't be so surprised—she had known that Seto liked to make an impression—but she couldn't stop herself from gawking slightly at her glitzy, showy surroundings for a moment before walking up to a secretary who sat in the corner.

"Is there any way I could speak to Kaiba Seto?" Isis asked politely.

The secretary didn't even look up. "With an appointment."

"I won't have a chance to schedule one before I leave for Egypt."

"That's too bad, then, isn't it?"

A sigh. "I would really like to speak with him, if I may."

Finally, the secretary looked up, a bored expression on her face. "But you may not," she told Isis coldly. "So why don't you leave?"

"I would like to speak to Seto," Isis repeated evenly.

The secretary scowled at her lack of a Japanese honorific. "Seto-_sama_ is quite busy," she said. "You may not see him without an appointment. Now leave."

The two glared at each other for a few moments, neither having any intention of backing down. Then a young voice said, "Hi, Kurosaki-san!" The secretary did look away then, and smiled politely as Mokuba, Seto's younger brother, walked up.

"Konbanwa, Mokuba-sama," she chirped. "Can I help you?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I'm just here to remind Nii-sama that there's more to life than working. As usual." Then he saw Isis and, in a moment, smiled in recognition. "Hey, Isis Ishtar, right? Didn't Nii-sama duel you?"

Isis nodded.

"Why are you here?"

"I was hoping to speak with your brother, but it appears that I need an appointment for that," replied Isis, keeping her voice level as she shot a death glare at the secretary.

Mokuba thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Nah, you can see Nii-sama," he said. "Come with me!"

"Mokuba-sama—!!" the secretary cried in surprise.

"Don't worry!" the boy exclaimed as he led Isis to an elevator. "Nii-sama won't mind."

Isis wondered if Mokuba's confidence in that statement was logical. Seto had not once been happy to see her, and she saw no reason for that to change today.

But that was too bad, because she needed to ask him…

As the elevator reached the top floor, Mokuba dashed out, calling behind him, "Follow me!" Isis did, at a somewhat slower pace than his. She was planning out what she was going to say, trying to guess Seto's response.

Finally, Mokuba pushed open a door with a grinning, "Konbanwa, Nii-sama!"

Suddenly uncertain, Isis didn't enter the office—the abnormally large office—just yet, instead watching as Mokuba strode over to the desk where Seto was sitting.

"Konbanwa, Mokuba," the young CEO replied. "Come to drag me away from my computer again?"

"Yep!" The black-haired boy smiled and grabbed his brother's arm, then began to jokingly pull him away from the desk. Seto pressed a few buttons on his computer and stood, placing his free hand on his little brother's head and patting him fondly.

Then he looked up and saw Isis. As he glared at her, angrily surprised, Isis hid her nervousness with a demure smile.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Mokuba looked up at his big brother. "This is the woman you dueled, right?" Seto nodded once, not taking his eyes off Isis.

Faking a perfect calmness, Isis told Seto, "I wanted to speak with you."

"Why? It had better not have anything to do with my 'past life,' " he warned her in a low growl.

Isis almost laughed at how suspicious his expression was. "You know, Seto, one of the things I find most intriguing about you is your opinion of me."

"Then you're a fool," he snapped. "Sensible people who know I feel this way about them _stay out of my way_."

"Maybe I'll learn my lesson someday."

"I doubt it."

Taking Mokuba by the hand, Seto marched out of his office, brushing past Isis. He was halfway down the hallway before Isis said, "I wanted to thank you for lending Devil's Sanctuary to Yuugi."

Seto stopped. After a pause, he said shortly, "You're welcome." Then he kept walking.

Isis took a few steps after him. "I also wanted to ask you…"

He stopped again. To Isis's surprise, he turned around to look her in the eye. "What?"

"I wanted to ask why you gave it to him."

The young man's eyes widened, and he turned his head away sharply. "I just felt like it," he answered coldly. "I wanted to see what he could do with a twenty percent chance of victory."

Isis shook her head. "I believe there's more than that," she said softly. "You didn't 'feel like it' at first."

Seto had turned away from Isis fully, but she could tell by his voice that he was scowling as he said, "So I changed my mind. Is that a problem, Isis?"

"Why did you change your mind?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Uncertain, Isis paused. "I've thought about it so much," she explained slowly, "but I can't figure out why you would give that card to him. It's important to me to understand. You saved my brother with that card, Seto."

Seto didn't speak for a long moment. Then, sighing deeply, he said, "That's why."

"What do you mean?"

Seto didn't turn around, didn't look at Isis, as he said, "The way you were determined to save Malik reminded me of… someone."

"Of whom?" Isis pressed.

"That is absolutely none of your business." Still holding Mokuba's hand, Seto strode towards the elevators so quickly that his little brother had to run to keep up with him.

The black-haired boy waved over his shoulder as he was half-dragged away. "Bye, Isis."

"Mokuba…" Seto growled warningly.

Suddenly, Isis understood. She ran forward a few steps. "I reminded you of yourself!" she exclaimed. "Didn't I?"

Seto paused for only a moment; then, without answering, he continued to the elevators. Isis watched as he and Mokuba boarded and the doors closed, Seto determinedly avoiding her gaze the entire time. Then she was alone on the floor.

Isis smiled gently. What an interesting boy Seto was…


End file.
